Explore different career options and understand what you want from a career

Being an early career academic researcher, whether you’re a doctoral student or research staff, can be challenging: should you pursue further academic research? What skills will help you progress in an academic career? What other career options are open to you?

On this course you will answer these questions and more, considering how to manage you career and reflecting on what you want out of a career. You will be encouraged to consider different career options, both within and outside academic research, and build your confidence in marketing yourself in applications and interviews.

0:04Skip to 0 minutes and 4 secondsKATRINA GARDNER: Academic researchers build up an enormous array of skills and experience during their academic research career that can take them into a wide range of professional careers, both inside and outside of the higher education sector.

0:33Skip to 0 minutes and 33 secondsKATRINA GARDNER: All three educators are highly-experienced career professionals with many years experience working in higher education career services supporting research students and research staff.

0:45Skip to 0 minutes and 45 secondsDARCEY GILLIE: We've authored careers resources for researchers, supported students and staff with their career development through individual advice and guidance, and designed and facilitated workshops on many aspects of career management. We're passionate about supporting researchers to make and implement well-informed career decisions that will lead them to satisfying futures.

1:06Skip to 1 minute and 6 secondsKATRINA GARDNER: This is a free online career management course for UK-based academic researchers. It is relevant and useful for both early career research staff and PhD students. This course aims to support academic researchers to consider factors that may be important to you in shaping your future career direction, whether that involves progressing in an academic career or considering other career areas in the UK professional job market.

1:31Skip to 1 minute and 31 secondsSHARON MAGUIRE: Through this course, you will reflect on what is important to you as you consider your future career direction. You will think about your values, motivations, and interests, and how these align with different careers, both within and outside of the academic environment. You will learn about the variety of career areas academic researchers move into and develop strategies to generate and research career ideas that will interest you. We will support you to identify the skills and experience that you have developed through your education and work and how this unique experience is viewed and valued by employers in many different industries.

2:09Skip to 2 minutes and 9 secondsDARCEY GILLIE: You will begin to plan your strategy for progressing either in the highly competitive academic job market or for making a transition into other professional roles. This course will conclude with a focus on the job application process, where we aim to give you the confidence to market your experience effectively to the employers that count for you.

2:28Skip to 2 minutes and 28 secondsNARRATOR: Over the course of four weeks, we will cover four main topics. Week one, we will focus on identifying significant individual influences in making career decisions. Week two looks at exploring interesting career options outside of academic research. Week three considers progression in an academic career and what this could mean for you. And finally, week four focuses on strategies for making successful job applications and performing well at interview.

2:56Skip to 2 minutes and 56 secondsSHARON MAGUIRE: We look forward to welcoming you on this course, supporting you in exploring and planning your future career, and helping you to maximise your chances of experiencing a rewarding and fulfilling career journey.

What topics will you&nbspcover?

Factors that are important when considering future career development including key drivers, strengths, interests, personality, and values and how these impact on career choice

Experience, skills and qualifications that aid progression in an academic career and how to build relevant experience

Common career areas researchers enter outside academic research and how to generate and research individual career ideas

CVs for different roles and how to present experience effectively when applying for academic and non-academic jobs

What to expect at academic and non-academic interviews, and how to prepare effectively for these

When would you like to&nbspstart?

Available now

This course started 21 January 2019

What will you&nbspachieve?

By the end of the course, you'll be able to...

Develop an awareness of what is important when considering future career development, including reflection on key drivers, skills, interests, personality, and values and how these impact on career choice

Identify the experience, skills and qualifications that will aid progression in an academic career; assess individual experience; identify gaps in light of what is required for moving on; and consider how to build relevant experience.

Explore some of the more common career areas researchers enter outside academic research and develop strategies to help generate and research individual career ideas

Describe how to adapt a CV for different roles and have improved confidence in presenting experience effectively when applying for academic and non-academic jobs

Discuss what to expect at academic and non-academic interviews, how to prepare effectively for these, and develop an awareness of how to present research experience to different types of employers

Who is the course&nbspfor?

This course is for academic researchers - both postgraduate researchers (PhDs) and early career researchers (post-docs).